Points of Light, a nonprofit that helps mobilize volunteers, helped launch the initiative with the Corporation for National and Community Service and 55 veteran and military service organizations, nonprofits and government agencies.

The goal of the program is to give struggling vets someone to lean on for answers who has gone through a similarly fraught transition. Because while finding jobs is one of the most pressing issues facing veterans right now, navigating the often-bureaucratic VA system to secure benefits is another critical problem that can keep vets from leading healthy and productive lives.

“In the military, everything is structured. You have one place to get that information,” former Petty Officer 2nd Class Elizabeth Perez told the Army Times. “And when you come out you don’t have that same kind of structure.”

Perez, who’s now volunteering with vets in San Diego, said that when she returned home after serving in the Navy for nine years, she had no idea that she was about to lose a significant portion of her benefits.

While funding and manpower are key in getting such a wide scale program to succeed, experts say that the veteran connection is what will distinguish this initiative from other ones similar to it.

“The Community Blueprint is based on the notion that veterans can often reach out and help other veterans in ways that others cannot,” said Stephanie Weiss, the chief marketing officer for Points of Light, told the Army Times.